SENATOR Joel Villanueva welcomed President Marcos’ report on the progress of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and MRT-7, saying the two rail lines will be transformative for a province that has long depended on congested highways to reach Metro Manila.
“Mula noon hanggang ngayon, oras po ang binibilang sa biyahe para sa aming mga Bulakenyo na magtutungo sa Metro Manila para magtrabaho, mag-aral, o mag-negosyo. Naranasan po natin ito noong nag-aaral po tayo hanggang ngayong nagtatrabaho po tayo sa gobyerno,” said Villanueva, a native of Bocaue, Bulacan. “Malaking ginhawa po ang mga makabagong linya ng tren sa mga kababayan natin sa Bulacan dahil mapapaikli po ng mga ito ang pagbiyahe.”
Villanueva noted that faster, more reliable transport tends to unlock private investment and jobs along the corridor it serves, from retail and logistics hubs near stations to businesses that hesitate to set up shop without predictable travel times to Manila.
But the more immediate benefit, he said, is time: for the ordinary commuter, a shorter ride to work or school means hours given back to family, rest, or a second source of income, instead of being lost to traffic every single day.
“A working railway isn’t just about getting home faster. It’s what convinces a business to put up a warehouse, a call center, or a housing project along that line instead of somewhere else,” Villanueva said. “Nakikita po natin na magiging susi ang mga proyekto na ito sa pagpapalakas at pagpapalago ng ekonomiya ng ating lalawigan.”
In his State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Marcos said NSCR trains are expected to run between Valenzuela and Malolos next year, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) targeting completion of the line up to Clark before the end of the administration.
The president also announced that 12 stations of MRT-7 will open next year, eventually reaching San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and said the two projects combined stand to serve close to a million passengers daily.
Villanueva, a co-author of the Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, said the law has been instrumental in clearing the acquisition delays that stalled both projects for years.
“Sa usaping right-of-way nadidiskaril ang mga naunang panukalang proyekto, subalit tinanggal na natin ang balakid sa pamamagitan ng ARROW Act. Sa ilalim ng batas, binigyan ng sapat na awtoridad ang DOTR, PNR, at mga private proponent ng mas malinaw na proseso sa pagkuha ng right of way,” Villanueva said. “Masasabi po nating nagbunga na ang reporma na isa sa isinulong natin sa Kongreso.”
Villanueva said he looks forward to working with the DOTr, local government units in Bulacan, and his colleagues in Congress to keep both projects moving toward completion.
“Matagal na pong hinintay ng mga kababayan natin sa Bulacan ang muling pagbuhay sa riles ng tren na magdadala ng panibagong sigla sa ekonomiya ng ating lalawigan. Makakaasa po ang mga ahensya ng ating gobyerno sa ating tulong para masigurong patuloy ang pagpapatupad ng mga mahahalagang proyekto sa ating mahal na lalawigan,” Villanueva said. (Manny D. Balbin)
